Pages

Friday, July 24, 2015

Why I Write

Wow! I have not been on for way too long! Life keeps getting
in the way of writing, which often feels backwards to me. Shouldn’t writing get
in the way of life? At least, in an ideal world…

I was talking to my sister the other day about stress. I
know we all have ways to deal with it. But I know that whenever I’m
particularly stressed, when I can’t focus or even concentrate on the smallest
thing, it’s because I don’t write.

Writing is the most cathartic practice I’ve ever
participated in. I’ve missed it, and I usually know when I’m most stressed
because I’m willing to give up sleep and food to try and balance my life with
writing.

Today, I’ve been thinking a lot about how writing really
makes up a large part of who I am, and it balances me as a person. There’s so
many reasons why I love to write, and why it’s so important to me.

Here’s the top reason why I love to write:

1.I’m a definite introvert. There are days when I’m
maxed out on how many people I spend time with, especially as a nurse. I’m in
and out of rooms, talking with patients, with families, coworkers – it’s
exhausting. After a long day like that, it’s a relief to go home, pull out my
computer and surround myself with nonexistent people. It’s a bit of a contradiction,
but I know I can turn off my imaginary people. That’s not always possible with
real people.

2.No matter what I’m going through, I always know
my characters are going through worse. Work has been rough. I’m not going to
deny it. But as bad as it’s been, it’s never as bad as what my characters are
going through. I’m currently bouncing between Servant as an Empire and King’s
Councilor. In servant of an Empire, I’ve kept Kanya locked up in a freezing
cold cellar with rats. In King’s Councilor, Cassie’s being tortured by telekinetic
fireballs. Makes me appreciate my life a little bit more.

3.It gets my brain going. Does this make any
sense? When I’m stressed, I can’t stop obsessing about specific things, about
what happens if… or I need to do… But when I’m writing, I turn all of that off.
I’m concentrating on a different aspect of life, and often, after I finish
writing, all of those obsessions have calmed down to a low roar.

4.I love creating. I’ve always been someone who
wants to make new things. Whether it be trying a new recipe, using a new
crocheting pattern or attempting to draw (cough, cough), there’s always
something that makes me incredibly happy when I can look at something, and say
that I made it. These stories are the same way. These are my characters. They
are my own creation, and I’m definitely proud of my accomplishments, even when I’m
the only one who gets to enjoy them.

5.I love the escape. Writing and reading serve the
same purpose. It’s an escape from real life. With writing, I know the world so
well that I can really immerse myself in it. I can jump into Xyheam or into
Oren, escape the world I live in and explore another.